"We have a better Senate that’s stronger for women’s rights than we did in the 112th [Congress]," said Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women, via phone."I had the sense that VAWA would be easy to get through the 113th Congress fairly quickly because if Republicans learned anything in the 2012 election, they have a problem with women—specially with women around rape. Because they have this problem, I think they are going to need to ameliorate their status with women, which is extroardiarily low right now...If someone like Deb Fischer, who is very conservative, can vote for it, there’s no reason why Republicans can’t vote for it."

The bill's passing means VAWA is onto the House for re-authorization, where it was halted last year in the 112th Congress by members of the GOP. The future of the legislation is unclear. Last week, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) indicated that although Republicans want to move forward on passing VAWA, some members within the party are still unwilling to show support in its current incarnation.

“We want to protect the women who are subject to abuse on tribal lands, and unfortunately there are issues that don’t directly bear on that that have come up, that have complicated it,” Cantor said. “But in working with [House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD)]'s office as well as the vice president’s, I hope to be able to deal with this and bring it up in a expeditious manner.”

Some Republican support in the House does exist, however, and it's starting to show. Last night, 17 House Republicans, including Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), sent a letter to Cantor and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) urging reauthorization of the act.

We are long overdue in passing a reauthorization of this landmark piece of legislation that which seeks to reduce instances of domestic violence and protect women who are victims of such violence... We believe a bipartisan plan to reauthorize VAWA is more important than ever.

O'Neill believes that failure to re-authorize VAWA in the House could have major implications not only for the legislation itself, but for the future of the Republican party. "I think that if they don’t [pass VAWA] they will fight an uphill battle for re-election in 2014," she said. "Failure to vote for this version of VAWA re-authorization is a mark against that candidate's support of women’s rights."